Factors of Change
FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHANGING AN ORGANIZATION The following factors should be considered whenever change is being contemplated: 1. The Change Agent
2. Determining What should be Changed
3. The kind of Change to Make
4. Individuals affected by the Change
5. Evaluation of the Change THE CHANGE AGENT: The change agent might be a self designated manager within the organization or an outside consultant hired because of a special expertise in a particular area. This individual might be responsible for making very broad changes, like altering the culture of the whole organization; or more narrow ones, like designing and implementing a new safety program or a new quality program. Special skills are necessary for success as a change agent. Among them are the ability to determine how a change should be made, the skill to solve change related problems, and facility in using behavioural science tools to influence people appropriately during the change process. Perhaps the most overlooked skill of successful change agents, however, is the ability to determine how much change employees can withstand. Managers should choose agents who have the most expertise in all these areas. A potentially beneficial change might not result in any advantages for the organization if a person without expertise in these areas is designated as a change agent.
DETERMINING WHAT SHOULD BE CHANGED: Organizational effectiveness depends on 3 classes of factors:
1. People
2. Structure
3. Technology People Factors are attitudes, leadership skills, communication skills, and all other characteristics of the human resources within the organization; Structural Factors are organizational controls, such as policies and procedures; and Technological Factors are any type of equipment or processes that assist organization members in the performance of their jobs. For an organization to maximize its effectiveness, appropriate people must be matched with
2. Determining What should be Changed
3. The kind of Change to Make
4. Individuals affected by the Change
5. Evaluation of the Change THE CHANGE AGENT: The change agent might be a self designated manager within the organization or an outside consultant hired because of a special expertise in a particular area. This individual might be responsible for making very broad changes, like altering the culture of the whole organization; or more narrow ones, like designing and implementing a new safety program or a new quality program. Special skills are necessary for success as a change agent. Among them are the ability to determine how a change should be made, the skill to solve change related problems, and facility in using behavioural science tools to influence people appropriately during the change process. Perhaps the most overlooked skill of successful change agents, however, is the ability to determine how much change employees can withstand. Managers should choose agents who have the most expertise in all these areas. A potentially beneficial change might not result in any advantages for the organization if a person without expertise in these areas is designated as a change agent.
DETERMINING WHAT SHOULD BE CHANGED: Organizational effectiveness depends on 3 classes of factors:
1. People
2. Structure
3. Technology People Factors are attitudes, leadership skills, communication skills, and all other characteristics of the human resources within the organization; Structural Factors are organizational controls, such as policies and procedures; and Technological Factors are any type of equipment or processes that assist organization members in the performance of their jobs. For an organization to maximize its effectiveness, appropriate people must be matched with